Mechelen (Brussels Morning) -The Geerdegemvaart swimming pool in the Leliestraat in Mechelen was vacated on Wednesday morning after chlorine fumes were discharged. About forty children became unwell for a while and two were taken to hospital for a check-up. The reason may be a defect in the extraction system.
On Wednesday morning around 9:30 am, the emergency services were called to the Geerdegemvaart municipal swimming pool in Leliestraat in Mechelen. Approximately forty children became unhealthy while swimming.Â
What actions were taken by emergency services after the incident?
“The Medical Intervention Plan was immediately informed and the swimming pool was evacuated,” says police spokesman Dirk van de Sande. The rescuers told the supervisors, that the children were still able to change clothes and the evacuation went smoothly.
At the time there were around 150 children and young people in the pool. “The smallest children were taken care of in the buses that took them to the swimming pool so that they did not have to stand in the rain,” states Van de Sande. “Once they were outside, most children felt okay again. Six of them received a medical check-up in the ambulance. Two kids aged 12 and 16 were taken to AZ Sint-Maarten, but their condition is not serious.”
What was the experience of TSM student Killian and his classmates during the evacuation?
TSM student Killian and his classmates were swimming when they suddenly noticed some children becoming unwell. “We were not affected by it ourselves, but we saw that students from some other schools felt bad,” he states. “We were then evacuated. We were able to quickly change and then went outside. We didn’t know exactly what was going on at the time, but we were told there was something involving a gas.”
Finally, it turned out that chlorine fumes had been released.Â
How did Mayor Bart Somers explain the situation regarding the extraction system?
“The investigation is continuing, but there may have been a technical defect in the extraction system,” states Mayor Bart Somers. “As a result, the chlorine fumes could not escape and they first amassed in the water and then in the air. It was a temporary problem because as soon as the fire brigade arrived, the concentrations dropped again.”
According to the fire brigade, they never surpassed the amount at which it becomes really dangerous to health. “It is obvious that we will check all installations together with the maintenance company,” says Somers. “Only when everything has been deemed safe again can the swimming pool reopen. These installations are regularly checked preventively to prevent incidents like this as much as possible.”
Because the Medical Intervention Plan was revealed, the emergency services arrived en masse. “I would like to congratulate the emergency services for the way they responded quickly. It is always a wonder when something like this happens, but the emergency services have done a great job,” said Mayor Somers. The swimming pool will remain closed today and tomorrow. It will open again on Friday.
What was the experience of students Lobke and Julie during the incident?
Students Lobke and Julie from Thomas More University of Applied Sciences had just gotten out of the water when they caught something was wrong. “We had already noticed a strong odour,” they say. “The water smelled, but we didn’t pay much attention to it. Until we noticed that several people started coughing and vomiting heavily. It took a toll on their lungs. It was quite tense, but we are happy that everyone is unharmed and the evacuation went smoothly.”
